“Wicked City’ and TV violence against women

WICKED CITY – Welcome to Los Angeles, circa 1982, during the rock ‘n’ roll, cocaine-infused revelry of the Sunset Strip. But all is not glitter as there’s a serial killer on the loose, and two detectives find themselves on one of the toughest cases of their careers. “Wicked City” follows a unique case set in this noteworthy era of L.A. history, with the detectives determined to track down and bring the killer to justice before another murder can occur. (ABC/Eric McCandless)ERIKA CHRISTENSEN, ED WESTWICK

A new series about serial killers features violence, and specifically sexual violence, against women. That’s a given. What’s worse is the calculating, duplicitous pitch on the part of the creators. Even more disappointing than the disgusting visuals, after all the years of complaints, is the way this primetime entertainment is being packaged: the producers present the drama as “empowering” to women. The violence, they say, is implied, not depicted onscreen. As if that makes it less offensive.

The difficulty here is not just the product, but the misrepresentation of the product.

“Wicked City,” premiering on ABC Oct. 27, is just the latest in a long line of TV dramas that rest on the old women-in-jeopardy formula. It’s a titillating hour about a pair of sociopaths living, loving and killing in 1980s Los Angeles. Slap period wardrobe, decor and music on an old theme and it’s still repulsive.

Amy B. Harris (“Sex and the City,” “Gossip Girl”), speaking as executive producer of “Wicked City,” said a majority of the series’ writers are women, and “we talk about graphic violence a lot in the writers’ room. We want to keep the graphic violence to a minimum but also acknowledge they are killing people. That’s the story we’re telling.”

Does anyone feel better knowing there are females in the writers’ room?

The characters Kent (Ed Westwick) and nurse/single mom Betty (Erica Christensen) are linked by a love of sadism. Heads will roll, sex will be mingled with murder, dialog will be trite and nothing will distinguish this show beyond the violence.

Joanne Ostrow has been watching TV since before "reality" required quotation marks. "Hill Street Blues" was life-changing. If Dickens, Twain or Agatha Christie were alive today, they'd be writing for television. And proud of it.